Dearest Rachel – So yesterday saw me and Lars meeting for our usual walk in the woods. Nothing particularly out of the ordinary, apart from the exchanging of Christmas presents that is part of the current season (I was rather pleased about finding something for him, as it was something that’s always been made inContinue reading “A Change of Terrain”
Category Archives: Updates From the Abandoned Planet
Slightly Naked
Dearest Rachel – This is the sort of thing that would have freaked you out in the moment – because it’s so out of character, and begs at least one significant question – and then given you something of a laugh afterward, once everything had resolved itself. It certainly did as much for me, onceContinue reading “Slightly Naked”
Frozen In
Dearest Rachel – It so happens that one of the members of the praise team at the church is from Florida – in fact, she’s Brian’s niece, and therefore a relative of ours, albeit a time or two removed – and isn’t used to the weather here (to be sure, no one gets used toContinue reading “Frozen In”
Just Not My Scene
Dearest Rachel – You probably know what’s coming here. Back in the day I always used to believe that I wasn’t a picky eater; given a situation where it was called on to be polite, I’m able to eat anything… and yet, somehow I wind up balking when confronted with some of your mom’s cooking.Continue reading “Just Not My Scene”
Sitting On the Pain Scale
Dearest Rachel – The problem with emotions and feelings is that it’s difficult to explain what one is feeling in a way that another person would understand exactly. Oh, we might be able to give a general idea to an audience what something feels like – and usually, that’s the best we can hope forContinue reading “Sitting On the Pain Scale”
Screwing Up the Schedule
Dearest Rachel – No sooner did I hit ‘publish’ on yesterday‘s letter when two things happened to upend my day. First of all, “Riri” wrote back, right after I got through telling you all the reasons why she wouldn’t. I still promise to tell you more about that, but on top of her explanations (someContinue reading “Screwing Up the Schedule”
Walls of Meaningless Text
Dearest Rachel – Lynda Barry, underground cartoonist and one of Matt Groening’s mentors and inspirations, once described love as “an exploding cigar we willingly smoke.” Considering your and my distaste for tobacco in the first place (although you might remember my claim that cigar smoke, in small doses, is redolent of childhood trips to WrigleyContinue reading “Walls of Meaningless Text”
The Questions That Go Unasked
Dearest Rachel – This morning – although when it’s this dark, if feels strange to call it such, even if this is just the way things are in the winter – as I got up and braced myself to head out to the gym, it occurred to me that the folks didn’t bother to askContinue reading “The Questions That Go Unasked”
Don’t Tell Me How Cold It Is
Dearest Rachel – So yesterday, I met Lars to go walking through the woods, as we do every week. This, despite the fact that it was below freezing and there was the threat of snow that day – in fact, for most of the time we were out there, we were dealing with a fairContinue reading “Don’t Tell Me How Cold It Is”
Not Me, Virginia
Dearest Rachel – I hardly need to remind you about events like Crazy Hair Night at Sparks; it was one of those ‘theme’ nights that you always used to make a point of participating in… As for myself, I didn’t throw myself into these theme nights with your level of abandon. Part of this wasContinue reading “Not Me, Virginia”
The Lists We Still Need to Deal With
Dearest Rachel – Well, it’s just how things work in the American holiday calendar, I suppose. We no sooner get through with one that, by name and nature, reminds us to be both content and grateful for what we have, than we begin on the one whose whole purpose seems to be the diametric oppositeContinue reading “The Lists We Still Need to Deal With”
The Irony of Weekend Snow
Dearest Rachel – They tell us that we’re in for a real dose of winter starting today, and going well on into tomorrow, honey – somewhere in the neighborhood of six inches to a foot, depending on who you listen to. It’s that time of year, after all, and for all that I make anContinue reading “The Irony of Weekend Snow”
Half the Holiday
Dearest Rachel – I was getting serious flashbacks from 2020 yesterday morning, honey. You remember that year; we’d all been tested for Covid before Thanksgiving, for the sake of the folks (and, I think, at the recommendation, if not requirement, of the government when it came to such gatherings at the time). Yours and Daniel’sContinue reading “Half the Holiday”
The List We All Need To Make
Dearest Rachel – I don’t really need to tell you about all this, since I already did at the time (and basically in the moment – which means that the story I related over the course of several letters may have been clouded by my emotions at the time, for obvious reasons), but during thatContinue reading “The List We All Need To Make”
Not a Time to Experiment
Dearest Rachel – The holiday season is upon us once again, honey, and as the sun takes that much more time off than it did when we were in Israel (where it’s so much more noticeable, since we can’t sightsee in the dark. Here at home, there’s still plenty to do when evening falls, andContinue reading “Not a Time to Experiment”
Still Not There Yet
Dearest Rachel – I’ve been writing to you a lot this past week about our difficulties in getting ourselves acclimated to our home time zone; it’s just under a week now, and we’re still not there yet. Compare that to our trip out, where we basically fell in line with the local time after aContinue reading “Still Not There Yet”
The Missing Third
Dearest Rachel – Another day, another evening of falling asleep on either side of the bed in our separate recliners while watching YouTube together, and another morning that essentially starts at one a.m., whether I mean for it to or not. We’re not still on Israel time, I don’t think, but we’re probably on GreenlandContinue reading “The Missing Third”
Just the Two of Us
Dearest Rachel – Ordinarily, upon waking up to darkness, assuming (as has been the case for the last couple of days since returning home) that’s it’s just an hour or two before I would normally get up of a Saturday, only to discover that it’s actually barely two in the morning, would be cause forContinue reading “Just the Two of Us”
Oh, The Places We Didn’t See
Dearest Rachel – In some ways, I don’t know how we managed it back in the day; before you were able to let me retire, we tended to be short on time, because even though I was given five weeks of vacation time after so many years of service, it was hard to squeeze suchContinue reading “Oh, The Places We Didn’t See”
Not Ready for Central Time
Dearest Rachel – Setting aside that he’s dealing with the cold that he caught on the last day or so of the trip (which I may very well catch soon enough, and is why, despite it being Thursday, we won’t be over at the folks’ place for dinner this evening. Dad is getting more andContinue reading “Not Ready for Central Time”
Chicken and Cheese
Dearest Rachel – I wonder if Yael remembers the two of us as the “chicken and cheese” father-and-son duo. When I meet someone I consider knowledgeable about one topic or another – especially one that I may never see again – I feel the need to make an impression by asking a question that wouldContinue reading “Chicken and Cheese”
Cleared for Takeoff
Dearest Rachel – I mentioned in my last letter that there might be an issue with the actual flight, but it might require a separate letter, because I wanted to send something (which you can read as “continue my streak,” which I’m sure you would be understanding about) before we left, whereas the details ofContinue reading “Cleared for Takeoff”
Leaving Just In Time
Dearest Rachel – Yesterday morning, I woke up to this sight as I headed outdoors on the way to church: I suppose it shouldn’t have come as so much of a surprise; the night before had me falling asleep to the sound of rain on the bedroom roof, and it had been getting chilly asContinue reading “Leaving Just In Time”
So Many Random Little Thoughts
Dearest Rachel – Some days, I wake up in the wee hours of the morning with no desire for anything but to roll over and go back to sleep. I thought this morning was going to be the same – especially given that today is a Saturday; who wakes up early on a Saturday? ButContinue reading “So Many Random Little Thoughts”
House Calls
Dearest Rachel – So I’m taking the day off from the ‘office,’ as I managed to get everything done that I’d intended to yesterday. At the same time, I’ve got lots of stuff to do here at home, such as laundry and packing for Monday’s flight out. And, as it so happens, I have toContinue reading “House Calls”
Speedrunning Life
Dearest Rachel – It was a weird realization to catch myself in last night. I’d just gotten the bank statements for the church and camp for last month, so I was thinking about how I could get everything reconciled and the statements prepared some time today. That way, the board members could have the dataContinue reading “Speedrunning Life”
No Happy Endings
Dearest Rachel – It’s something that one doesn’t see every day (which is why I’m writing to you about it, after all), although I’m now going to see it every day for at least the next week or so. I was walking to the gym on Monday morning, and spotted this outside the office complexContinue reading “No Happy Endings”
To Mess About the City
Dearest Rachel – Given that it was an interesting way to spend part of the weekend – and that these letters are, in part, a means for me to record the days of my life since you left, because I’ve discovered how quickly my memories fade if I don’t – I would be remiss ifContinue reading “To Mess About the City”
For What May Never Come
Dearest Rachel – A trip to the grocery store after dinner with the folks, while unusual in and of itself (most of the time, we just go home, and Daniel joins Logan in the family room to watch this or that anime that he has already in progress), isn’t entirely unsurprising. Sometimes things need toContinue reading “For What May Never Come”
A Chance to Hit the Town
Dearest Rachel – For all that, when I’m wandering around some foreign land (or even just another city here in the States – the last time I caught myself saying this was when Daniel and I were crisscrossing Boston), I find myself thinking that I should devote a little more attention to the sights ofContinue reading “A Chance to Hit the Town”
That’s No Moon…
Dearest Rachel – It seems that, far too often for my liking, I’m up at a ridiculous hour of the morning these days. It probably comes with the territory that is aging, to be honest. The last chapter of Ecclesiastes talks about how one will “rise at the sound of a bird” despite hardly beingContinue reading “That’s No Moon…”
Outed
Dearest Rachel – You would have found it amusing on Friday evening as we were setting things up for the Family Fest at church. As I have no work schedule to speak of (in fact, I’d taken the day off for the express purpose of making sure I was home to pay Kris as soonContinue reading “Outed”
For Me, A Costume
Dearest Rachel – It feels like it was so long ago – and it was, a good year and a half before your departure – that dress shirts and ties were de rigueur attire for me, as a member of the white collar work farce. You might also remember that I loathed it, especially theContinue reading “For Me, A Costume”
Dancing Around Another Line
Dearest Rachel – It’s been a little over a year now – more like thirteen or fourteen months, in fact – since I managed to drop myself down below two hundred and twenty pounds, seemingly never to rise from it again. Why, barely a month after crossing that line, I was coming dangerously close (inContinue reading “Dancing Around Another Line”
One Twelfth of My Life
Dearest Rachel – It starts with the incongruous admonition about eating with a dignitary, and the need to control ones appetite in front of one. Which probably meant more back in the day, when a ruler’s favor (or lack thereof) toward you could mean the difference between life and death. Granted, I’ve heard stories aboutContinue reading “One Twelfth of My Life”
The Haunting I Wish For; the Haunting that Comes
Dearest Rachel – As much as it seems frivolous to do so, we did spend a lot of time together as a family in front of the television (either in its original capacity or as a computer monitor), so I suppose it’s appropriate that this letter has to do with a video Daniel and IContinue reading “The Haunting I Wish For; the Haunting that Comes”
Maybe A Little Too Casual
Dearest Rachel – I’ve mentioned before how someday, I’d like to get so accustomed to traveling that it could be done practically on a whim. I’ve joked about how calling Kerry (my travel agent) up out of the blue and telling her to “book me something before I change my mind,” but it still hasContinue reading “Maybe A Little Too Casual”
The Latest Bit of Family Slang
Dearest Rachel – I honestly can’t remember when I last visited our village public library, despite the fact that it’s supposedly one of the largest in the state (although obviously superseded by that of Chicago itself, I don’t think there are too many others that are larger). Sometimes, if I think about it, I assumeContinue reading “The Latest Bit of Family Slang”
Options and Add-Ons
Dearest Rachel – So, this is a weird situation to be in where, after decades of telling ourselves we would be going to Japan and taking Daniel with us, to show him a little bit of what each of us individually and separately fell in love with (and these encounters long before otaku culture wasContinue reading “Options and Add-Ons”
Not As Faithful As Some
Dearest Rachel – Ever since before the weekend, I’ve been retiring early – earlier than used to be typical for me back in the day during my work farce days, and for which you used to tease me about now and then – and, for the most part, waking up early in turn. Sometimes, I’veContinue reading “Not As Faithful As Some”
Not So Fast
Dearest Rachel – Seven in the morning, and you’d think I’d be raring to go, especially after calling it a night at nine last night. You’d think that ten hours of sleep would allow me to recharge my internal batteries to the point where I’d be ready to take on the world first thing inContinue reading “Not So Fast”
Early to the ‘Office’
Dearest Rachel – You were usually asleep on those many weekdays, but you might have been aware of how early they would start on my side of the bed and room. For the most part, though, you seemed to be able to sleep through the sound of the alarm on my side and the noiseContinue reading “Early to the ‘Office’”
Walking Away from the Runners
Dearest Rachel – It feels wrong, almost like cheating, to write to you about something I didn’t do over the past weekend. And yet, there’s been this sense that I owed you (or somebody) an explanation for this choice of activity – or rather, inactivity – this weekend, as I’m not out cheering the runnersContinue reading “Walking Away from the Runners”
My Own Personal Marathon
Dearest Rachel – It’s kind of ironic; since I’m assigned to the booth this weekend, I won’t be heading downtown to cheer our runners on tomorrow (and I keep mentioning this, because it feels like this should be a topic I ought to go into more detail about to you, but I don’t know ifContinue reading “My Own Personal Marathon”
Who Would Believe It?
Dearest Rachel – We’ve had to get out of the house at ridiculously early hours in the past – flights don’t really concern themselves with the schedules of their individual passengers, for instance – so you know I’m capable of getting up early. And, of course, there are the many work days when I’ve beenContinue reading “Who Would Believe It?”
Starting in the Dark
Dearest Rachel – It’s been decided, at least by me – and when I’m the one driving, that’s basically the one opinion that matters. We’ll be heading downstate one last time on Saturday (although who knows if Ellen will need more help with her mom’s old townhome, as she and her sisters wind up theContinue reading “Starting in the Dark”
Fancy Dress Hero
Dearest Rachel – Like most Monday nights, you would have been all over the theme at Sparks last night, having to do with dressing like your favorite superhero. Indeed, you had more than a few pieces to the puzzle that you would have put together to play the part of the ‘superhero’ you would haveContinue reading “Fancy Dress Hero”
Cleaning vs. Coddling
Dearest Rachel – This is the sort of thing I actually feel silly writing to you about. It’s something that never used to get under my skin, if for no other reason than that it wasn’t mine to necessarily concern myself with. And besides, if I did make a complaint about it, it would justContinue reading “Cleaning vs. Coddling”
Text Silence
Dearest Rachel – For all that I’ve told you about the more-than-occasional mad rush of messages I get from folks I meet on dating websites, this story is about the opposite side of the coin. Sometimes, you want to keep things going, just to make sure, but things go silent on the other end ofContinue reading “Text Silence”
Waiting for the House Call
Dearest Rachel – While I may have been a little surprised at his emphatic reaction last year when I’d gone through my first such episode, I kind of understand why Lars refers to this process as a ‘scam,’ even though it’s arranged through our health insurance company and I’m not out of pocket (indeed, I’mContinue reading “Waiting for the House Call”
Insufficient Data
Dearest Rachel – Back in the day, when we would see the phrase I’ve used for the title of today’s letter, we would snicker to each other about how “that’s not what Tasha said.” We weren’t die-hard Trekkies, but you didn’t have to be in order to get the joke back then. And yes, itContinue reading “Insufficient Data”
No Particular Point to the Moment
Dearest Rachel – If I’m to be honest with you – as well as myself – about this series of letters to you, that they’re as much a record of life happening in the days after your absence as anything else, I should be telling you about the events of the past evening. For someContinue reading “No Particular Point to the Moment”
To See Where I Stand
Dearest Rachel – Well, honey, despite my best efforts to take advantage of as much of the darkness as possible – especially since I wasn’t going to be heading into the ‘office’ today – my day this morning started at six, regardless. It was too late for me to realistically put in my full timeContinue reading “To See Where I Stand”
An Audience of One
Dearest Rachel – The other day, I got an email from someone, rather out of the blue, who had either been reading these letters or watching the videos I’ve been attaching to the ones I’ve sent you while I’ve been traveling; it wasn’t entirely clear to me as to which, since they referenced the channelContinue reading “An Audience of One”
Where Your Treasure Is…
Dearest Rachel – So, as we landed in the States a little more than a week ago (and thus were able to receive text messages, being back in-network), one notice I got was from one of our old buddies in the anime fandom community. Doc is the type to keep his eyes open and earContinue reading “Where Your Treasure Is…”
A Conversation Erased
Dearest Rachel – There are certain aspects of my life where I follow in your footsteps, insofar as I can’t – and don’t – get rid of things, even in cases where I know I’m not going to use the things I’m keeping, To be sure, most of the things I hang onto (or maybeContinue reading “A Conversation Erased”
Green Screen Blues
Dearest Rachel – It was a moment that, in its quickly-discovered-to-be triviality, you would likely have found as amusing as I did, even as I was mildly annoyed at the steps I needed to take to remedy the situation (as well as the time away from what some might consider an addiction – not you,Continue reading “Green Screen Blues”
Ready (Already) For the Weekend
Dearest Rachel – I’ve gotten accustomed to the gym I go to these days to the point where I think I could scribble up the playlist I hear as I walk uphill for an hour. Maybe not completely, and certainly not in order, but there are a number of specific songs I’m guaranteed to hearContinue reading “Ready (Already) For the Weekend”
Could Have Been So Much Worse
Dearest Rachel – You might have noticed that I’ve said very little about my weight or exercise regimen over the past couple of weeks, but you probably haven’t been wondering much about its absence. After all, Daniel and I have been cruising, and you know what it’s like. You were with me on enough ofContinue reading “Could Have Been So Much Worse”
Determined to Leave it Behind
Dearest Rachel – It’s the sort of thing that, had it happened to you, you would be distraught about. Daniel acknowledged that he would be distraught – and he brought along a spare on this trip. And maybe I ought to be, considering how far I’d come with it over the past year and aContinue reading “Determined to Leave it Behind”
Less of the Same, More of the Usual
Dearest Rachel – The beauty of a morning flight is that, when you arrive, you still have most of the day to ‘enjoy’ the place you’ve landed in. The… dare I say ugliness?… of that same situation on the return trip means that you’re dropped right back into the responsibilities of home that you neglectedContinue reading “Less of the Same, More of the Usual”
Set Out Two Lanterns
Dearest Rachel – We’ve come in to Boston by sea. I found myself waking up at a quarter to five to watch as various harbor lights passed by (I wasn’t wearing my glasses in bed, so I couldn’t tell you anything more specific than that); that’s what comes from collapsing to sleep by nine inContinue reading “Set Out Two Lanterns”
Beverage Plan
Dearest Rachel – You might remember that we never concerned ourselves with a drinks package when we went cruising back in the day. It was quite sufficient to stick with lemonade, iced tea and (in Daniel’s case) milk while in the dining room, since we didn’t drink alcohol– and as far as soft drinks go,Continue reading “Beverage Plan”
In the Breton Island Fog
Dearest Rachel – So after a couple of days at sea – hey, at twenty-five knots, it takes a while to get anywhere from Greenland, let alone the North American continent – you might think we would be itching to get off the ship and onto dry land. And that may very well have beenContinue reading “In the Breton Island Fog”
Oh Boy…
Dearest Rachel – I remember being at the hospital while the news was breaking about John Lennon being shot. I wasn’t at the hospital he was being taken to, of course; this was when my grandfather was being taken to be seen about what turned out to be a fatal case of lung cancer (andContinue reading “Oh Boy…”
Not Such an Anticlimax as All That
Dearest Rachel – I’m sure we’d seen the aurora borealis once or twice since the time we did on the night I proposed to you (and you took it as the heavens themselves blessing the moment, as I recall), but you’d think I’d be able to remember and point to the night, especially since it’sContinue reading “Not Such an Anticlimax as All That”
Appreciating the Staggered Schedule
Dearest Rachel – This has been an unusual trip, and I have to say that I kind of like it. I know that you always wanted to go on a transoceanic sailing in order to actually feel the ocean beneath your feet – the relatively self-contained bodies of water like the Mediterranean and the CaribbeanContinue reading “Appreciating the Staggered Schedule”
Our First Misadventure
Dearest Rachel – It’s said that it’s the misadventures that make the memories when you’re traveling (yes, I rather realize I’m effectively quoting myself; that doesn’t make it any less true). If that’s so, Daniel and I may have finally given ourselves a memorable trip to London, even as it’s short and limited in anyContinue reading “Our First Misadventure”
Pretending Everything Is Normal
Dearest Rachel – The last few overseas trips I’ve taken have started off with a ride to the airport first thing in the morning, or even in the wee hours, prompting me to wake up absurdly early in order to catch my flight. Not so today; with the flight scheduled for four in the afternoon,Continue reading “Pretending Everything Is Normal”
An Hour or Two of Calm
Dearest Rachel – First thing in the morning, I find myself sitting up in bed, firing up the computer and starting this letter to you. Thankfully, I’m not fighting off another cold – the one Daniel and I both just dealt with (although I’m not sure if he isn’t still dealing with the symptoms; likeContinue reading “An Hour or Two of Calm”
You Just Have to Deal With It
Dearest Rachel – Much like any other human, I complain about the the things that go wrong in, or are just unpleasant in my life without bearing in mind that there is plenty of ordinary stuff that makes it so much better than most (and with enough life experience behind me, you’d think I wouldContinue reading “You Just Have to Deal With It”
What Needed to be Done
Dearest Rachel – It’s Monday morning, just like it is every week at this time, and as I reluctantly make my way to the gym, I note to myself that the traffic seems considerably more plentiful and vigorous than it usually does. It may have to do with the fact that I’m not out ofContinue reading “What Needed to be Done”
Free to Do Nothing at All
Dearest Rachel – “Anyone free this weekend?” After three weeks of silence in the group chat, it was Logan who ventured the question the other day. Evidently, he thought it might be worthwhile to see if the others wanted to do something together either today or tomorrow. Which you might think to be a no-brainer;Continue reading “Free to Do Nothing at All”
To Travel With Another
Dearest Rachel – Ever since the accident which took you “home” at the end of a day trip in the midst of the Covid lockdowns, you’re aware that I’ve been doing (and telling you about) a lot of traveling. These are things we always meant to do together one day, but were precluded from doingContinue reading “To Travel With Another”
Compound Interest
Dearest Rachel – I try to avoid talking about specifics regarding our financial situation in these letters, and I’ll try to continue with that today. We don’t know who might be reading over your shoulder, and as I’ve mentioned before, talking about what one makes or owns is a sure-fire way to get someone toContinue reading “Compound Interest”
You Can’t Always Finish The Job
Dearest Rachel – You might recall how last week, when I was struggling (unsuccessfully, as it turned out) to keep from catching whatever it was that Daniel had been dealing with since before the weekend began, I was also trying to remember about a commitment I thought I remembered making, but was unable to recallContinue reading “You Can’t Always Finish The Job”
A Few Hours of Darkness
Dearest Rachel – I’ve written to you about power outages before, and most of them have been short-lived and short-ranged, while still leaving one contemplating about just how dependent we are on electricity for just about everything. This one was a little of both, and a little of neither. For starters, I showed up atContinue reading “A Few Hours of Darkness”
Story Arc
Dearest Rachel – It would amuse me no end for some theorist channel to happen across this sheaf of letters, read a whole bunch of them over your shoulder, and try to make sense out of them as if they were the components of an ARG or an extended literary work. Applying the tropes ofContinue reading “Story Arc”
Speaking Terms
Dearest Rachel – I have to admit, this particular cold, and the measures Daniel and I have taken about it, feel like life under the Covid lockdowns. I haven’t been to the office since Monday – especially since Dad reported to me that Mom was dealing with a similar level of illness as I wasContinue reading “Speaking Terms”
Seeking Distractions
Dearest Rachel – Another morning dawns, and with it, the realization that I can’t have a day that passes for normal just yet. Woke up before two with a coughing jag, and took a little more medicine to allow me to go back to sleep, and managed to eke out another five hours worth, inContinue reading “Seeking Distractions”
Bloodshot
Dearest Rachel – You probably remember that when I’m sick, I sneeze at two different volumes. When it’s unrestrained, it’s loud enough to be heard anywhere in the house – and probably for several houses down – and it’s practically yelled out, as if I’d hit my thumb with a hammer or something. More often,Continue reading “Bloodshot”
Ill at Ease
Dearest Rachel – Monday morning, and something just doesn’t feel right. Much as I’m planning to head to the ‘office’ for what should be an ordinary day (with a side request to help the folks deal with “a credit card situation,” which probably just involves an internet communication issue), there’s this sense that I’m forgettingContinue reading “Ill at Ease”
Enforced Silence
Dearest Rachel – I have a couple of topics to share with you about the past 24 hours, so if I’m really motivated (and Daniel manages to get the night’s rest he needs and deserves), you might get more than one letter today, as they’re not really related to each other. They won’t be longContinue reading “Enforced Silence”
Health Concerns
Dearest Rachel – Normally, when I wake up of a morning, the house (at least, the portion within earshot) is quiet as a tomb. Even the fact that Logan gets up early enough to start his workday doesn’t register with me. Maybe it’s because his upstairs room that he confines himself to during working hoursContinue reading “Health Concerns”
Monday Deferred, But Monday Nonetheless
Dearest Rachel – There are moments when, while I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to check out of the work farce (and I’ll never forget how you put it at the moment; “you’ve supported me for the last twenty-plus years, now it’s my turn to support you.” Not every one, even as aContinue reading “Monday Deferred, But Monday Nonetheless”
On Being “That Guy”
Dearest Rachel – This is something of a confession, as in hindsight, I think I may have been excessively rude to someone who was just trying to be polite. It’s the sort of story that might possibly be submitted to r/AITA, where Redditors dealing with a pang of conscience ask the community at large, “AmContinue reading “On Being “That Guy””
Meanwhile, Back Home…
Dearest Rachel – I just stuffed the bags back into the car behind my driver’s seat again this morning. Normally, I’ve got this rotation of two of the many (most of which I either disposed of or gave away) cloth grocery bags you left behind, for when I stop at Aldi – either one, asContinue reading “Meanwhile, Back Home…”
Rattle Around in Your Bones
Dearest Rachel – I hardly need to refresh your memory that summer is Daniel’s least favorite season. Despite this being common knowledge between us, he will often complain about the heat – and I can’t say as I blame him; it’s at least ten, and possibly as much as twenty degrees hotter up here thanContinue reading “Rattle Around in Your Bones”
Notes From The Return Trip
Dearest Rachel – It’s Monday morning after a week away from the gym, and the sky outside is dull, gray… and most importantly, raining. You can probably guess that these are more than enough reasons for me to be thoroughly reluctant to head out to the gym, honey, while at the same time that weekContinue reading “Notes From The Return Trip”
Time for (Mis)Adventure
Dearest Rachel – In a way, it feels weird to spend a day completely away from working at Just One, especially considering how much work there is to do. The poor, as Jesus said, will always be with us, and they will always have needs we can fill for them, hopefully in an attempt toContinue reading “Time for (Mis)Adventure”
Misunderstanding the Assignment
Dearest Rachel – I’ve mentioned before that I’ve never actually had a chance to do karaoke, and it would seem that last night, that showed. I’ve always envisioned it pretty much like how the Japanese do it; a small handful of people getting together in a room no bigger than a hotel room, to competeContinue reading “Misunderstanding the Assignment”
What You Least Expect
Dearest Rachel – I knew from the outset that whatever I was expecting from a classroom here in Honduras, it wasn’t going to be like what one was like in the States (or, for that matter, since I’ve seen more of their classrooms in the years post-graduation, Japan). The trouble is, I couldn’t visualize whatContinue reading “What You Least Expect”
Put Through Paces
Dearest Rachel – Not that it’s germane to anything else going on, but I feel the need to send you greetings on this, the fifty-fourth month since your departure. It’s been four and a half years at this point, and more often than not, the twenty-third of the month still gets my attention in aContinue reading “Put Through Paces”
Cultural Experiences
Dearest Rachel – It seems like a bit of a waste of time, when there is so much that needs to be done at the school and clinic (to say nothing of the houses in need of water storage pilas – although there’s only so much that can be done in any given day towardContinue reading “Cultural Experiences”
Prince of Peace Corps
Dearest Rachel – I don’t know if you remember the slogan, but I have a vague recollection of the Peace Corps described as “the toughest job you’ll ever love.” It wouldn’t surprise me if Just One was striving to be that kind of job opportunity, even on the limited-time basis as it is for usContinue reading “Prince of Peace Corps”
Primera Mañana
Dearest Rachel – I’m not sure what you would’ve thought of this place, honey. I’m still trying to get used to it myself. After yesterday’s travels (particularly the obscenely early start to the day), I retired at what might otherwise be considered a ridiculous hour of nine o’clock, but which you might have at least beenContinue reading “Primera Mañana”
Too Tired to be Frantic
Dearest Rachel – Early tomorrow night, I’m going to need to head off to bed by five or six, so I can wake up at three, summon myself an Uber (both Dad and Daniel offered to drive me there until I informed them both of the time I needed to be there, at which pointContinue reading “Too Tired to be Frantic”
Professor Perdonname
¡Buenas días, estudiantes! Bienvenidos a Hojas 101 (o Contabilidad 101). Mi nombre es Randy Larson, pero puedes llamarme “Señor Perdonname”, porque no sé mucho español, y voy a decir “¿perdonname?” a la mayoría de sus preguntas. De hecho, tengo tan poco español que necesitaba escribir este monólogo con antelación y revisarlo de antemano para asegurarmeContinue reading “Professor Perdonname”
Food at Home
Dearest Rachel – It’s so memetic that there isn’t a single iconic image to represent it; all there is to it is a basic script. Child asks for restaurant food (usually from a low-grade fast-food place – and yes, I know that’s something of a redundancy), to which the mom replies that “we have foodContinue reading “Food at Home”
Sleeping Weather
Dearest Rachel – Yesterday, while I was at the ‘office,’ Logan sent a text to me about there being water on the floor in the basement, both in the utility room and the half-bathroom that rarely ever gets used by any of us. Maybe Daniel was taking a bath upstairs, and he felt the needContinue reading “Sleeping Weather”
Letters to Rachel 